Underdeveloped Yunnan Province in southwest China invested nearly 2.89 billion yuan (348 million US dollars) in 2003 in local poverty alleviation projects, helping 400,000 needy people obtain food and housing, according to local government's poverty assistance office.

The province injected 18.9 billion yuan (2.27 billion dollars) into helping 7.42 million rural poor people from 1994 to 2000, butit is still home to the largest poor population in China, mostly due to local unfavorable geographic conditions and slow economic development.

By the end of 2002, there were 4.78 million peasants in Yunnan each living on less than 865 yuan (104 dollars) a year, and 2.86 million each with less than 625 yuan (75 dollars) a year.

The needy peasants included more than 2 million living in extreme destitution, and more than 500,000 starving in below subsistence circumstances.

The province set a goal in 2003 to offer enough food and housing to the 2 million destitute and help to resettle the 500,000 starving in five years with an investment of 4.5 billion yuan (542 million dollars).

(Xinhua News  Agency  March 9, 2004)